Dauntless
by theguywblackwings
Summary: A self-insert. What if an Amity boy had made it past the train of Dauntless Initiation? Let's see how Tris's story changes once Chase slips into the picture. ((T for now, may end up being M later on)) Warning: Graphic description and harsh language
1. Chapter 1: It's Bea-

I slowly snip locks of long hair, looking in the small mirror hanging in my room. Most people in my faction have long hair, but I've never really been one to fit in with said faction. I stand up across the small wooden room as wavy, brown strands land. I'll have to clean them up later.

When I finish I put the scissors back into my top dresser, taking out a bright red shirt and light tan jeans. I abhor Amity clothing, but I have no other choice. I slip the jeans over my legs and bright red underwear as I hear my door creak open.

"Hey Chase, dude, you ready yet?" I hear Monty gripe.

"Yeah, gimme a second to put some damn clothes on!" I snap, slipping my shirt on and stepping into my flip-flops.

"Well if you don't hurry the tests will go on without us! You wouldn't want to miss them and end up not knowing which faction to transfer to." He and I both know I'm not cut out for Amity. Neither of us are, but that's where most of our similarities stop apart from our birthday. Even though we are twins, we're only fraternal, Monty is a good four inches taller and much more muscular, whereas I am far more agile. His long blonde hair is tied into a ponytail sticking from the back of this baseball cap, and mine is recently cut to be but a mere few inches.

We both climb onto the bus and wait. Being from Amity means long bus rides, as the bus must go from our orchards to the city. I watch as people from all but one faction climb on, some elderly Candors, young Erudites, and even younger Abnegations. I recognize the Abnegation boy from school, Caleb Prior. He's known for oddly high grades and his picture perfect Abnegation attitude. His sister on the other hand, she is an enigma. She may be quiet, so quiet I don't know her name (I think it's like, Bethanie? No...), but not quiet in an Abnegation way.

"Are you checking her out?" Monty inquires beside me.

"WHAT? NO!" I call out, perhaps a tad too loudly.

"I'm just kidding," He laughs, "Who would check out a Stiff like her?"

Once I realize the time after talking to some friends, I run to catch my daily show, I know it's an odd thing to do, but I tend to go and watch the crew of Dauntless leap from the moving train at 7:25 each morning, but as I arrive to my usual window I come to find out I had just missed them. "Dammit!" I sulk to the glass.

Then I notice a pair of eyes watching me from a gray figure at the window. The Abnegation girl from the bus is there too.

"Sorry, I like to watch the Dauntless jump from the train." I look away before she giggles conservatively.

Instead I hear a small chuckle. "Why do you think I'm here?"

I turn back to see her smiling to me. "The name's Chase." I extend my arms for a hug, only to suddenly remember that Abnegation avoid contact, and instead choose to bow.

"Beatrice." She declares, bowing as well.

"Beatrice." I state as she did, but she seems to think I was mocking her, as she gives me a small glare. "I'm sorry, it's just... You don't introduce yourself like I expect Abnegation would. You say it so firmly, as if it's a fact you've read in a book."

"Are you comparing me to the Erudite?" her glare intensifies as she says the faction.

"Sorry, I always forget how anti-Erudite you people are." I turn to go to first class. "I'll see you around Tris!" I yell, speed walking away.

"It's Bea-" She started to yell out, but shut up when she realized the amount of looks she was getting.


	2. Chapter 2: Both

The tests begin after lunch. The long table I sit at is full of other Amity playing stupid games, some even sitting on the ground. Monty and I sit at the table in silence. He bites his finger nails as he always does while I scan the room. The Dauntless hoot and holler as they play a card game that seems to involve harsh punches and the phrase 'you cur' but the punching could easily be simply due to their Dauntless nature.

The Abnegation sit in silence. They seem dull and boring, but I still recognize Beatrice, Caleb, and Robert. Beatrice and I both seem to be surveying the room though, based on her empty gaze toward the Erudite table where books and papers are being read, likely filled with knowledge and slander.

The Candor table is mainly guys arguing. I recognize one Candor boy named Peter. He and I have always butted heads. He's a lying Candor and I'm a violent Amity, so when ever we'd end up in fights neither of us would get in trouble because our teachers saw him as truthful in his claim that I 'started it' but yet were reluctant to punish a boy from the peaceful Amity.

I'm called up in the same group as Beatrice, but we of course avoid each other as see walks with a Dauntless woman and I walk with an Abnegation woman, to room 9. She looks somewhat like Beatrice. Maybe it's just the clothing and overall Abnegation (lack of) spirit.

She stays silent as she sets up the electrodes, to the point I'm surprised when she speaks. "Nervous?"

"Very." But I don't sound nervous.

"Well Chase, it's not bad at all. Now than, My name is Natalie, and I will be your aptitude tester." She hands me a vial of water looking liquid.

Before she can ask me to, I gulp the serum and feel myself slip away.

I awake to myself standing in the empty cafeteria. I notice a bolt of lightning, far off, through the window. It's not raining though, just lightning.

I'm brought out of some sort of trance as I hear a female voice say: "Choose."

I look to the table before where, in two baskets lay a knife and a block of cheese. "Choose for what? What's next?"

"Choose." It repeats sternly.

"Fine, I choose..." I trail off as I look at the two options. _Wait, she just said choose, she never said I can only choose one..._

"Both." I finally say, reaching forth and grabbing both.

I turn back to a creaking sound, to find a growling Pointer's glare. Without a second of thought I toss the cheese down and it comes up and begins to eat. I chuckle and begin to scratch behind it's ears. The door reopens and a girl stands there. "PUPPY!" She shrieks.

The dog turns back to her, growling yet again. It lunges for her!

"NO!" I yell out and extend my arm, watching in surprise as the beast freezes in air, as does the girl. I walk over to the suspended canine and look into glassy eyes. _Right, a simulation. _I raise the knife up and plunge it into the beast's rib cage three times. It stays in the air, not reacting at all to the new, life-ending, punctures.

I walk over to the little girl, frozen as well still, with the same eyes as the soon-dead animal. "You aren't the brightest, at least not when it comes to common sense." I grab her frozen chin and twist back and forth slowly to look her face over. "Any fool knows a high-pitched girl will only disturb the thing." The more I look the less detail I see. _The simulation is clearly breaking up. _I give her head a quick jerking rotation. "Better quick right now rather than slow to some other animal."

I stand up and place myself right between the two as I see the dog moving again and blood begin to drip from it's wounds. Soon, it's all in fast forward as the dog's lifeless form slams onto my feet and the girl drops to the ground unmoving. "GOD DAMMIT!" I scream, grabbing my foot out from beneath the heavy corpse.

Suddenly, I'm sitting on the bus again, beside me sits a blonde Erudite woman. She taps my shoulder. "Pardon me," she speaks kindly, but with an edge, clearly a political figure, "May I ask your name?"

"Matters, who wants to know?" I don't trust her at all. Politics is a war, one that Amity stay out of. I may not like Amity, but politics are still a bitch.

"Are you implying that your name differs on who you're talking to?" She chuckles like only a ruthless politician can.

I stare her down and look before me to find an elderly Erudite man standing. "Sir, please, take my seat." I stand and watch him sit as he nods a thank you. "The name is Chase, now leave me alone Jeanine." I walk away to the back of the bus. _Wait, simulation. _I turn around and smirk as I watch the Candor boy, beside Jeanine, drops his ice cream right onto her blue, pinstripe, skirt.


	3. Chapter 3: I am grateful

I wake to my own snickering. Natalie stands beside me with a troubled gaze as she removes my electrodes then her own. "Excuse me," She says with a bow, walking backwards toward the door, "I'll be back, sir." She slowly walks out leaving me on my own.

She comes back in hurriedly. "Chase, your results were inconclusive."

"What's that mean?"

"Let me explain, the test usually goes by eliminating one faction at a time, but in your case, only one was eliminated." She swallows and looks around as if someone will attack her for what she's saying. "Usually the first choice will eliminate Dauntless or Amity, it takes out Dauntless if you choose the cheese, and Amity if you choose the knife, but by choosing both, both remained. I brought in the dog hoping it would remove Amity, but by feeding it you remained neutral. Once the girl was brought in and you killed both Amity was finally done with, but that left the other four in tact. So, I brought up the bus scene hoping to get rid of Candor, but to no avail."

"So what does this mean?" I sound calm still but my heart is racing.

"You seem to hold aptitude for Candor, Erudite, Dauntless, and Abnegation. Making you Divergent." She whispers so softly I can hardly hear her. "I think it best you go home, decide which one you will transfer to if any, and keep quiet on your results, forever. I will input your result as Candor. I wish you luck."

I go against Natalie's suggestion and go back out to the Amity table. I stare out over the other faction teens. Honest Candor. Wise Erudite. Powerful Dauntless. Selfless Abnegation.

I have a lot of thinking to do.

As we go home my fellow Amity chit-chat about this and that as I remain silent. I look up and notice Caleb, standing alone. Without a word I walk to him, grab a nearby railing and he turns to me. "Hey." My voice sounds nervous and raspy, so I clear my throat and repeat myself, "Hey."

He stares at me as if I'm an alien. "Hello?" As he speaks I notice that the Amity behind me have lowered to a whisper.

"I have a question for you, Caleb." I falter slightly as the bus stops to let off the Erudite. "What's it like to be in Abnegation?"

He seems perplexed. "How do you know my-" He stops, probably realizing that asking his own question before answering mine is self-serving. "We hold others above ourselves and uphold the fact that helping those who need it is the true way toward peace. As the Manifesto goes, and I quote 'Therefore I choose to turn away from my reflection, to rely not on myself but on my brothers and sisters' unquote." I notice how robotic he sounds as he answers.

I nod solemnly. "I know your name because you're in my math class." I answer his unasked question. I walk back to my seat and the Amity around fall silent.

"Dude, what was up with that?" Monty questions finally.

"A guy can't ask someone a damn question?" I answer with a sly smirk. I realize Abnegation is not for me. But I did search for the truth. But I did search for knowledge. But it was brave.

_Abnegation Manifesto_

"_I will be my undoing_

_If I become my obsession."_

I go to my room as soon as we get home. I enter my closet and look to the top shelf, covered in books. I find a thin book that I've read time and time again, _Faction Manifestos: the Origins and Originals_.

I turn to the Dauntless Manifesto where I've highlighted my favorite part. _"WE DO NOT BELIEVE that learning to master violence encourages unnecessary violence."_

Erudite _"Intelligence is a gift, not a right. It must be wielded not as a weapon but as a tool for the betterment of others."_

Candor _"TRUTH MAKES US TRANSPARENT. TRUTH MAKES US STRONG. TRUTH MAKES US INEXTRICABLE."_

Abnegation _"I will forget the ones I love if I do not serve them."_

Finally, Amity, where my favorite line has been removed from the original text to form today's. _"__**INVOLVEMENT**__. One friend says to Another: 'Friend, today I fought with my enemy.' The other friend says: 'Why did you fight with your enemy?' 'Because they were about to hurt you.' 'Friend, why did you defend me?' 'Because I love you.' 'Then I am grateful.'"_

I turn to the last page, it was blank, but I have written on it myself: _One friend says to Another: "Friend, today I fought with my enemy." The other friend says: "Why did you fight with your enemy?" "Because they were about to hurt you." "Friend, why did you defend me?" "Because, WE DO NOT BELIEVE that learning to master violence encourages unnecessary violence. It must be wielded not as a weapon but as a tool for the betterment of others. I will forget the ones I love if I do not serve them. TRUTH MAKES US STRONG. I love you." "Then I am grateful."_


	4. Chapter 4: Last Knife

As we go to the Choosing Ceremony we pack into the elevator, having a group of Abnegation give us the right-of-way. I feel bad as I watch Beatrice walk with them to the staircase. We sixteen-year-olds stand in alphabetical order, putting me very close to the end, given that I am Chase Riggerton, so I stand with Monty just after me.

"Welcome," booms Marcus at last, "Welcome to the Choosing Ceremony. Welcome to the day we honor the democratic philosophy of our ancestors, which tells us that every man has the right to choose his own way in this world."

My eyes dart to the bowls before us, soil, rock, glass, coal, and water. Each a simple part of this world that we somehow see as symbolizing something only humanity could possibly design. We've learned we weren't always separated. If we weren't started separated, are we meant to be so?

I ignore most of Marcus's words as I grow somewhat tired from a lack of sleep, until he finally begins to get to the point. "Those who blamed aggression formed Amity." Pacifism can't be the answer. You have to stand up for yourself eventually.

"Those who blamed ignorance formed Erudite."

Intelligence always plays a role in your simplest of choices. It leads to prosperity, advancement, and above all else, the future. But at what cost? As one gets closer and closer to ultimate knowledge, wouldn't your curiosity eventually reach a limit? Wouldn't learning become simply... dull?

"Those who blamed duplicity created Candor."

Honesty can never hurt in the long run. It may sting at first, but it's like the calluses after a tough day chopping trees in the orchard, hurts at first, but makes you tougher. But they are more than honest, they are also open. They are open to the point of no secrets. Open to the point that the Divergent clearly couldn't be safe there. I actually want to choose Candor, but I can't see myself as safe knowing the the Divergent are some sort of prey. I can't choose Candor.

"Those who blamed selfishness made Abnegation."

I've already chosen against the Abnegation.

"Those who blamed cowardice were the Dauntless."

Cowardice, or caution? I do admire the fearlessness of the Dauntless, but at what point does courage simply turn into a lack of concern? When does leaping off a train turn from example to idiocy? When does violence turn to cruelty?

I am left with two options, a life to turn dull, or a life to turn ignorant.

"Apart from them, we could not survive." Marcus adds, snapping me from a trance of thought. "Therefore this day marks a happy occasion- a day on which we receive our new initiates, who will work with us toward a better society and a better world."

Person after person go by and I slowly tally where they go to, Amity, Erudite, Dauntless, Amity, Abnegation, Dauntless, Candor, all remain in their same faction until James Tucker walks up and switches from Dauntless to Candor. He's lucky to have such an option.

Monty is next. I watch in silence as he, without hesitation, walks to the center, slices his hand, and his blood sizzles into coals. Everyone murmurs just as they always do when a change in faction happens. But to happen twice, soon thrice, in a row? Nearly unheard of.

I watch as he shamelessly steps behind Dauntless. I now know where to go. I know faction comes before blood, but why can't I have both? "Chase Riggerton."

I step up to Marcus, and take the blade. I stare at the sharp metal. The last time I held something so sharp was out in the orchards. It was always my job to cut down dead trees for fire wood or furniture. I used to take the axes and throw them into tree trunks, laughing almost hysterically until someone came by to make sure of my working.

The last time I held a knife was right before my trip to the hospital for blood loss. That day was when I truly became the Amity outcast. No Amity would see things so badly as to do as I once did. Now here I stand, forced to do nearly do it again. I seamlessly glide the blade across my palm and watch for a few seconds as the crimson bubbles up. I hold my hand above the coals and listen to the sizzle as my life in Amity burns away.

I chuck the knife behind me, unlike all else, and yet, I'm surprised when I hear a deep CURPLUNK.

Time to see how this goes.


	5. Chapter 5: Call me Al

There turns out to be an unheard of five transfers in a row. For a second I swear a riot will break out over Caleb switching to Erudite, but then I remember that the Abnegation are too selfless to be that angered about it.

Soon after that Beatrice stands at my side. I finally realize how short she is, only coming up to about my chest. The Dauntless exit the building first, we file out of the room toward the stairwell. Without any warning the mob of Dauntless yell and shout as they thunder down the stairs! "What the hell is going on?" I hear a boy yell out.

I feel a hysteric smirk across my face as I flash back to climbing the orchard trees and swinging from branch to branch, a few times climbing to the top of our tallest trees and leaping down the branches without using my hands. Before I realize what I'm doing I find myself swinging over a railing and dropping two stories before jamming my feet expertly between railings to catch myself.

The Dauntless-born running by whoop and yell at me offering high-fives that I accept with pride. I do the stunt three more times on our way down, including at the very end where my ankles jar against the concrete floor at the first story.

I follow the crowd outside and know exactly where they're going immediately: the train. I run my way to the closest track, before I soon realize I've become the leader of the pack, running in front of even the Dauntless-born. I'm taken back at first before I remember running across the orchards to where ever I was assigned to work while everyone else walked. I finally reach the train tracks and hear the horn sound. As I stop the effects of the run take place. I finally feel out of breath and my eyes burn since I apparently forgot to blink. I blink furiously as Monty catches up behind me, completely out of breath.

The train is suddenly inches from my face, so I draw back as the Dauntless-born pile on with ease. The fellow transfers begin to get on as well, but my heart is suddenly racing too fast. I run alongside the train, scared to death of what I'm about to do. _Be brave. Be brave. Be brave. BE BRAVE! _As I think the last chant of the mantra I hurl my body sideways. My limbs crash into the metal floor of the car as I roll into the car. Within a matter of seconds I suddenly feel the racing wind again and grip onto the open door! I hurled myself so strongly I'm now flailing out of the other side of the train car!

"I GOTCHA!" I hear a fellow initiate scream against the wind. Gigantic hands grab me by the arms and pull me in. I hyperventilate for a few seconds before looking at the guy who saved me. He's from Candor, he has a broad build and is even taller than Monty. "Next time," he says between breaths, "Watch your momentum."

"Thanks for the tip." My breathing begins to regulate as I see Monty a few feet away, he's obviously been crying, even his brown shirt is now soaked, whereas my red shirt is only soaked with sweat. Maybe the Dauntless wear black simply to hide the fact they sweat so much?

"Chase." I yell to the Candor who helped me, wrapping an arm around him and patting his chest in an awkward side hug. My hand hurts slightly just from patting his chest.

"Albert," He yells back, awkwardly trying to return the embrace, "But call me Al."

We sit by the opening the rest came in from and I watch the land smear past in a barrage of color. Finally I see ahead where forms leap from the cars ahead onto a building. "They're jumping off!" I yell to the other transfers. I prepare to jump, ignore everyone else's chatter until I hear a familiar voice. "Well, I'm not doing it." Monty.

"You've got to or you fail." A Candor girl next to Beatrice yells to him as my throat locks up at the thought of losing Monty. "Come on it'll be alright."

"No, it won't! I'd rather be factionless than dead!" I turn away from Monty and push him from my mind. I can't force him to jump.

"Come on!" Al juts his hand out towards me. I look up to his face to see that he's been crying like Monty. I grab his hand and prepare to jump. We leap at just the right time, releasing each other as we hit the rooftop. I land nearly perfectly as Al makes a thud when his head meets our landing spot. I can't help but giggle.

"Listen up! My name is Max! I am one of the leaders of your new faction!" As he speaks I look around to hope Monty changed his mind about jumping. I'm let down in my search. "Several stories below us is the members' entrance to our compound. If you can't muster the will to jump off you don't belong here." At this point I realize I am the only Amity left, and Beatrice is of course the only Abnegation. "Our initiates have the privilege of going first."

An Erudite girl and Max exchange a few short questions and vague answers that I tune out as my eyes find the place we are to jump off from. I start forward and soon realize I'm not the only one. Beatrice has joined me. We stop at the edge and look to each other. "Ready?" I ask, not sounding as nervous as I really am.

"Ready." She says it with steel in her voice. She takes off her gray hoodie and throws it back at Peter who I am only now realizing is here. I grab onto her hand, and without so much as a countdown, we jump in unison.

My whole body stings as we land and my world goes black with pain as the breath shoots out of me.


	6. Chapter 6: Candor

I awake to the sound of a laughing voice I don't recognize "I never thought I'd see the day someone jumps down here in such a way that their feet go through the net holes and a rope hits their nuts!" The laughter continues as I sit up, blushing in pain.

Initiate after initiate jump down, much more gracefully than I. "First jumpers- Tris and Chase!" I hear yelled out, looking to the voice to see Beatrice next to a rather handsome guy. I quickly stand and run over by her, forgetting the pain.

"I told them your name."

"Thanks. So Tris, huh?" Even I can hear the smirk in my voice.

"Yeah," she replies with true Dauntless steel, "I got it not too long ago." The last part of her sentence holds a slight Amity tone to it, and for a split second I feel somewhat guilty and homesick.

I look around to the cavern curving around us. "A new name for a new home."

"The name is Four," says the man who called us out, "And welcome to Dauntless."

We walk down a long hall that is dark within intervals, it somewhat reminds me of being back at Amity, sitting at a campfire with a few others, telling scary stories. I, of course, was known for being able to make the scariest of stories, a talent I enjoy fully. We finally stop at a fork in the cave, where Max, Four, and a girl named Lauren all stand before us as Lauren speaks, "This is where we divide. The Dauntless-born initiates are with me. I assume _you_ don't need a tour of the place."

This leaves us with only ten in our group: one Amity, one Abnegation, and the rest a mix of Erudite and Candor. "Most of the time," Four calls clearly, " I work in the control room, but for the next few weeks I am your instructor. My name is Four."

"Four?" questions a Candor girl by Tris, "Like the number?"

"Yes, is there a problem?" Four glares to her with a look only a Dauntless could have.

"No." she somehow remains stern and steely. She may now be in Dauntless, but her Candor spirit of open-mouth-ness remains nonetheless. I doubt she'll last long.

"Good. We're about to go to the Pit, which you will someday learn to love. It-"

"The Pit? Clever name." the same Candor girl snickers.

Four storms over to the loud-mouth and looks her in the eyes. "What's your name?"

I find myself sliding ever so slightly closer as she responds, "Christina."

"Well Christina," Four begins, "If I wanted to put up with Candor smart-mouths I would have joined their faction."

He is about to continue, but before he can I hear a different voice. "She's not a Candor smart-mouth."

Everyone's eyes dart to me, including Four's, which turns me into a liquid as I realize the voice came from me.

"She left Candor. She's now just a Dauntless initiate who hasn't learned to shut up." I watch as both Four and Christina's eyes hone in on me with distaste.

"You're pretty out spoken yourself, Pansy, you sure you're in the right place?"

I suddenly feel a slight cold-sweat at him calling me out as Candor. I speak as harshly as I can when I respond, "I'm completely sure. About as sure as I can out do most anyone else here." _DAMMIT!_ That last part was meant to be said, but it was.

Four smirks and spins around, guiding us to the Pit.

As we enter the gracious space I feel a rush of stimuli. The air holds laughs of children and drunk and scents of chocolate and leather. The place is brown with cave walls, black with peoples' clothes, and blue with light from glass above. The air feels cold, yet invigorating. But above all else, it tastes of a new place. He guides us around to show us his favorite clothing stores and a tattoo parlor. After that was the chasm, which I don't exactly pay attention to, as I plan to not spend much time there.

He guides us to the cafeteria, where we are greeted with a round of applause. Tris and Christina seem to enjoy the remark, but I simply blush brightly and attempt to hide behind Al.

As we eat I sit with Tris, Christina, and Four, to find that the food is none other than hamburgers. Tris is confused at the cuisine at first, but then the attention turns to me. "Are you gonna eat?" Four asks through a mouth of burger.

I blush I feel my Amity side peeking out, "Do you people- I mean, do we not eat fruits?" At Amity meat is hardly ever eaten, when it is, it's a fish, chicken, or the occasional cow. I only know what a burger is because Monty loves them with mustard. I find them rather repelling.

"No, not often. If you want some corn or potatoes go to the lunch line, but I wouldn't recommend it." He replies with an eye roll.

"Why not?" questions Christina before a bite.

"Walking us there in those rags? He'll get refused in no time flat."

I look down at my flip flops, red shirt, and tan cargo shorts. "Fine." I stand up and slip my flip flops off, then dropping the shorts to reveal dark burgundy boxer briefs, and then peel away my shirt. People around seem to stare in amazement at the initiate stripping to his underwear in the middle of the cafeteria. I fold the clothes and place them on the seat next to where I sat and then walk to the food line. As I grab a tray I suddenly realize the scars across my sides are in full view. My already pounding heart picks up speed.

"What do you-" The lady seems taken back as she looks up at me, "Want to... eat?"

"I'd like some corn, potatoes, and chicken." My voice remains firm somehow and she scoops the food onto my plate, I begin to walk away. "Wait." I come back to find a small slice of chocolate cake. "Brave, kid." She smiles at me, clearly focusing on my face.

"Thank you ma'am." I say kindly, grabbing the plate and walking back to my seat before remembering I can't eat chocolate.

Tris, Four, and Christina look at me with awe as I take my first few bites. "Damn." Four finally says. "Brave for someone from Amity." He smiles to me and I slightly melt. "Also a little fit."

"My job was always cutting down trees." I realize my voice was an octave high and blush.

The three of them simply laugh. I quickly finish eating and leave as a guy with tons of facial piercings walks in. I wonder when they'll realize I left a fork and my cake on the table.


	7. Chapter 7: Prove him wrong

_From the darkness I see gleaming teeth just before I feel a fist smash into my jaw. I fly back from my sitting position as I hear a maniacal cackle from the attacker. I know the other two are back there, cowering, hiding from him. I hear the next fist coming and my hand shoots out. "Enough." I growl as my fingers wrap around his wrist._

_ "Oh really? You think that YOU can stop me?" He grabs me by the wrists and pulls me over his head, slamming me into the non-existent ground. "It's only a matter of time before I come back bitch," He pins me down and his hand wraps around my neck as his rancid breath assaults my nostrils and his slimy saliva drips onto my cheek. "But for now, you only need to worry about the fact that you should really-"_

"WAKE UP CHASE!"

I push away from the voice, scratching my bare back on the Dauntless cave floors. Al was trying to wake me up.

Doctors like to call me an insomniac, I prefer the term person-who-doesn't-like-to-sleep-because-of-messed-up-nightmares.

"Come on, this Eric guy wants us to follow him." He hands me my neatly folded clothes and I follow, not bothering to put them back on.

Eric explains the living and initiating conditions, and I seem to be the only one that is not surprised. I am provided with black undershirts, black jeans, underwear, socks, and a pair of black shoes that resemble the work boots from Amity, only they're black rather than tan. Everyone else got a hoodie as well, but Eric said that I seemed comfortable being cold.

I choose to sleep in just the black undershirt and a pair of black briefs, otherwise I seem to be too warm. Amity houses are made very roughly of wood, so I'm used to nights with cold winds. The chill of Dauntless caves is not much different.

For now, I lay awake. My mind wanders to different places. _What will initiation be like? Will my little 'issue' come back? How is Monty? _I stop thinking for a split-second, taking in a heavy stimulus. _Who the hell is crying? And why the fuck is the bunk shaking? _I peer from the top bunk and barely make out Al's shape in the bottom bunk, crying into his pillow. I think about what to do, but blink my eyes in the process, and apparently fall asleep.

I urge my eyes to open somehow, to be greeted by a thick, muscular, arm. I trace the arm up to find it connected to Al. _No, don't flip out, don't freak out, don't over react. _I scream at the top of my lungs and push away, knocking him out to one side, and me to the other. Totally normal reaction.

I feel cold stone against my legs and spring to my bunk, throwing my jeans on. "How the hell did I end up in _your_ bed?!" I scream as other initiates groan awake.

Al looks up at me, his eyes are bloodshot and have bags underneath. "You heard me crying and came down to comfort me, even when I told you not to." He speaks under his breath, as if he's trying not to disturb the others like I did.

I slip on my socks and jump to look him in the face, but I end up looking him in the Adam's Apple. "I did no such thing!"

"Yes you did," Christina rubs her eyes as she walks over. "We all heard you trying to calm him down."

_God dammit, not already. _"Sorry," I say to Al's chest. "My memory isn't the best." I scratch the back of my head.

"You're lying," The tone of his voice suggests an eye roll. "The scratching your head says so, I mean, come on Chase, if you're going to lie, don't make it out to a past Candor."

I feel my cheeks burn and I grab my shoes and storm out.

I sit outside the door and put my shoes on as Eric walks toward the door. "Get up Amity." His voice remains deep and steely as ever, if not more so. I wipe tears away. He sees me as weak now. _New task: Prove him wrong._

"The first thing you will learn today is how to shoot a gun. The second thing is how to win a fight," Four announces as he hands out guns, "Thankfully, if you are here, you already know how to get on and off a moving train, so I don't need to teach you that," The firearm feels foreign in my grip, but something about knowing I hold such a weapon makes me feel... alive. "Initiation is divided into three stages. We will measure your progress and rank you according to your performance in each stage. The stages are not weighed equally in determining your final rank, so it is possible, though difficult, to drastically improve your rank over time.

"We believe that preparation eliminates cowardice, which we define as the failure to act in the midst of fear," I notice Eric roll his eyes as Four reads off his definition. "Therefore, each stage of initiation is intended to prepare you in a different way. The first stage is primarily physical; the second, primarily emotional; the third primarily mental."

"But what..." Peter speaks with a yawn, "What does firing a gun have to do with bravery?"

Peter catches a second yawn in his mouth as Four, in one swift motion, puts the gun to Peter's forehead, clicks a bullet into the barrel, and demands: "Wake. Up. You are holding a loaded gun, you idiot. Act like it. And to answer your question... you are far less likely to soil your pants and cry for your mother if you're prepared to defend yourself. _Mother? Most people in that speech would use the word 'Mommy' or at least 'Mom.' But Mother? _"This is also information you may need later in stage one. So, watch me."

After a few minutes I'm the last to hit the target and so far the one to most often throw down my gun in irritation. Al walks over to me with Christina to his left. "Try keeping your hand still." He says plainly.

I look to my hand and see that I'm shaking a lot. I inhale and exhale to calm down, closing my eyes and aiming blind. I fire three rounds. I open my eyes to see a bullet hole in the dead center, but only one. "GOD DAMMIT!" I yell, tossing the gun to the ground, accidentally making it fire into the floor.

"Why are you pissed?! That was great!" Tris calls from a few people away.

"Chase," Christina laughs, "All three hit the exact same spot."


	8. Chapter 8: Burning the Family Tree

For lunch, I end up sitting with Tris, Christina, and Al. Al gives me a slightly wayward glance, but after gun practice I, for some reason, feel fine still. We get to talking about our pasts, despite what the Dauntless think. "All the Abnegation looked the same to me. I mean, they still do, but now you're not one of them." Christina says to Tris in asking if they had a class together. Maybe Candor isn't for me after all, with Peter, Molly, and Christina, it must be full of serious assholes after Choosing. "Sorry, am I being rude? I'm used to just saying whatever is on my mind. Mom used to say that politeness is deception in pretty packaging."

I think back to when I was young and still trying to fit in with Amity. When someone played badly at cards, I told them they played a good game. If someone called me attractive, I simply returned the remark without thinking. Is kindness really just lies? "I think that's why factions don't usually associate with each other." Tris chuckles out.

I raise my eyebrow at the remark. "You're kidding me, right Tris?" I say without a thought. She looks up at me from her food, not really knowing if I'm being rhetorical. "Factions love each other. I mean, look at Amity and Erudite, we would get assistance from them all the time to help our plants. Frankly, someone from Abnegation should be the last to even say that, your old people would help other factions without a second thought."

Before she has time to shoot back, Will comes over and taps the table "Can I sit here?"

"What, you don't want to hang out with your Erudite buddies?" Christina calls, still being rude, or... perhaps just honest?

"They aren't my buddies." Or maybe she's just assuming. "Just because we were in the same faction doesn't mean we get along. Plus, Edward and Myra are dating, and I would rather not be the third wheel."

I turn to look and catch the two, glued together, in the middle of a conservative kiss. "Do they have to be so _public_?" Tris scolds under her breath.

"She just kissed him." Al points out. "It's not like they're stripping naked."

"A kiss is not something you do in public." She snaps back.

"Wow," I exhale, "Good thing you aren't in Amity, in Amity them stripping naked would be common!" I grab my fork and stab a steamed carrot. "Calm down girl, you'll get used to it." I put the veggie in my mouth and speak through my chewing, "Maybe... one day... even you'll be doing... that."

"Or you can stay frigid." Will says through a smirk.

He catches the roll Christina throws at him. "Don't be mean to her, frigidity is in her nature. Sort of like being a know-it-all is in yours, and being laid-back is in his." She says pointing her fork at me.

"I am not _frigid_!" Tris exclaims.

"Don't worry about it, it's endearing," Will speaks, still smirking. "Look, you're all red."

I watch as she gets redder from the comment, and we all chuckle, even her.

Four takes us all to a room, judging from the chalkboard with our names, the big white circle, and the punching bags, I'd say "next you will learn how to fight." Four states firmly. "The purpose of this is to prepare you to act; to prepare your body to respond to threats and challenges- which you will need, if you intend to survive life as a Dauntless." My mind races to what life as a Dauntless must really be like. "We will go over technique today, and tomorrow you will start to fight each other." I feel a warmth spike through my body, a familiar spike that makes my eyes water some at the memory. "So I recommend you pay attention. Those who don't learn fast will get hurt." He demonstrates a few different punches, all of which I've studied before from the books I took from the school library.

With each strike the bag jolts back and forth. For now, I strike slowly and powerfully. _I know the rest will be- or at least should be- watching the rest like I am. If I fight differently now than I will for the real fighting, I'll train more muscles and keep the technique that's clearly best for me hidden and in secret._

"You don't have much muscle," says Four to the girl- Tris- next to me, "which means you're better off using your knees and elbows. You can put more power behind them." I stop moving and watch out of the corner of my eye as he holds her by her midsection and they look at each other "Never forget to keep tension here." He breathes. I still watch as he walks away. _God dammit. I should've known I'd have no chance... oh well. _I focus back on the punching bag as a weird laugh storms into my mind, the one from the dream in front of the cafeteria that first day. I feel my muscles tighten, until finally I sweep my leg up, to the top of the bag, hitting the chain above it with my heel and shattering a link. I watch the bag smash onto the ground with a THUD and dust go everywhere.

The five of us- Will, Tris, Christina, Al, and I- go to the Pit after practice "No. I will not cut my hair," says Tris, "or dye it a strange color. Or pierce my face."

"How about your bellybutton?" Christina asks back.

"Or your nipple?" smirks Will.

"Maybe start with an ear?" I throw in.

We all decide on what to do, Tris and Christina go to the clothing place, Will and Al go to the tattoo parlor, and I head over to a place that does piercings.

I meet Christina and Tris at the clothing store just as Christina shoves Tris into a changing room. "Chase! You should get some new stuff too! Baggy clothes are too Amity also, I like the piercings." I look into a mirror next to me to finally see how the ones I picked turned out. I have a red eyebrow piercing that looks almost like my eyebrow is split and blood is just now coming out. My lower lip is now also home to two, black, metal loops.

I walk through the store as Tris and Christina check out Tris's new look and do her makeup. I come back to them in my new clothes to find Tris, looking very NOT Tris. She's wearing a skirt and a slightly revealing top, with boots. Her face and hair seem different altogether. Her eyes pop with new eyeliner and her hair is much shorter and spreads across her shoulders. "Nice look Tris!" I exclaim.

"Not bad yourself." She giggles. I look back at the mirror to see my new look again. My dark red jeans are tight, but not skin tight, and still allow for a wide array of motion as long as I don't plan to do the splits. My shirt is black with a diagonal purple stripe, one sleeve is short while the other is long, and I still wear the black boots.

We race to the tattoo parlor to find Al getting a spider on his arm. The others start looking at artwork in countless books. Everything I see is good, but... not _me_. I end up finding just the right thing, an artist's table. Amity is known for artwork, so naturally, I sit down and start to draw. I leave the tattoo parlor with bandages on my back. It took a while, but now my back holds two images, mirroring each other, of the Amity tree symbol being burned by Dauntless flames.


End file.
